Is it purely psychological? Is there a (temporary) physiological change caused by taking a shower or bath that makes you feel better? I’m guessing that it’s part of the primordial rewards system that’s wired into our brains. We feel good after we get clean(maybe a spike in certain neurotransmitters) so that we’re incentivized to do it, thereby helping to protect ourselves against disease.
–ed
For me it’s because after I shower I no longer stink. That makes my wife want to come near me again. Then I get hugs and kisses. Hugs and kisses makes me smile.
Which I’m sure causes a “physiological change” at least some of the times, which can be ultimately attributed to the shower.
This just gave me a great idea. I’m gonna start spamming people something like:
75% off of showers!
Starts working in just 15 minutes
Longer-lasting effects
No prescription required
Select the manufacturer you can trust!
Fast delivery to over 120 countries
–ed
i think it is probobly the heat causing the muscles in your body relax so there is less tension and then your brain releases endomorphines (s/p) to congratulate you on stopping the constant pain signals it was recieving
Showers make me feel better because girls won’t hang out with me unless I take 'em 
cleaning yourself of woes and giving yourself a clean slate
I think this is the most logical answer.
Phil - if that’s the case, that’s psychological… you aren’t really washing away your woes when you shower 
Many things about bathing, showering, sitting in a hot tub, etc. are relaxing and soothing. As mentioned, the heat is nice for muscles, and with a shower or hot tub there may be a massaging sensation. Also, scented soaps, shampoos, body washes, etc. help enhance the experience. Scent is one of the strongest senses, and can trigger many pleasureable memories. And a wet nose is more sensitive to smells.
A subconcious aspect may be memories associated with the months we all spent safe and warm in the watery confines of our mother’s womb. Or, if you believe all the evolutionist hype, a primordial longing for a return to the oceans.
Or it could just be the strong desire not to smell like a Frenchman!
Wow, I didn’t know that.
I was going to make a similar reference earlier in the thread, but I decided to stay away from that one! 
–ed
Yopu’re not really clean until you’ve used this product:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5523527025&rd=1#ebayphotohosting
They’re too relaxing sometimes. I’ve fallen asleep in the shower before. And I didn’t fall over, just fell asleep standing there.
Then again, maybe it wan’t just the shower…
That’s why dogs’ noses are wet. They enhance their sense of smell. Bloodhounds have sopping wet faces and ,not coincidentally, they have the best sense of smell of all creatures (I think anyway).
I’m sure people have different reasons as to why showers make 'em feel better…
I like 'em because they wake me up (opposite effect than Mike it seems). Like it’s to the point that if I don’t take a morning shower for some reason in addition to feeling unclean I feel not able to be awake. After so many times I think it’s just wired into my brain that I need to shower and it’s good when I shower (probably like an addiction to coffee in a weird respect- you feel a bit magoo until you take your first sip (you crazily addicted coffee drinker you (yuck, in my humble opinion))).
I wounder…
If I don’t take a shower in the morning, even if I took one the night before, I don’t feel right. But I should mention I probably should also be medicated, if you know what I mean, so this might not mean too much. 